1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a cover attaching structure for attaching a cover to a housing provided on a connector, and a housing and a cover which constitute the cover attaching structure.
2. Background Art
Conventionally, a connector with an electric wire cover is disclosed in JP-A-9-306583 as a connector which includes a cover that is attached to a housing. A box-shaped cover is fitted on the housing on a side thereof where an electric wire outlet port is made to open so as to be fixed thereto. An electric wire drawn out from the electric wire outlet port passes through an opening provided in a side wall of the cover and is then drawn out to the outside.
Rod-shaped ribs extend from a pair of edge portions, which face each other, of the electric wire outlet port opening towards a direction in which the cover is attached or detached. A projecting piece is provided on an internal surface of the rib which faces the electric wire outlet port opening in such a manner as to extend in a direction in which the rib extends. Locking projecting portions project outwards from respective side walls which are adjacent to the positions where the ribs extend in such a manner to hold the edge portions of the electric wire outlet port opening.
Groove-shaped depressed wall surfaces are provided on a pair of circumferential walls, which face each other, of the cover in such a manner as to extend from an opening edge portion of the cover along a direction in which the cover is attached to or detached from the housing. A slit is formed in the depressed wall surface in such a manner as to extend from the opening edge portion of the cover to a central portion thereof in a direction in which the slit extends. A portion above the depressed wall surface which lies at the opening edge portion of the cover is covered by a locking piece. The locking piece is made up of a plate-shaped element which is held by a pair of slits therebetween which lie on both side portions of the depressed wall surface and extend from the opening edge portion of the cover along a direction in which the depressed wall surface extends so as to impart flexibility thereto. A locking hole is formed in a central portion of the locking piece in such a manner as to pierce both main surfaces so that the depressed wall surface is exposed therethrough to the outside.
When attached to the housing, the cover accommodates the ribs of the housing in the depressed wall surfaces, with the projecting pieces of the ribs fitted in the slits of the depressed wall surfaces and the locking hole of the locking piece locked by the locking projecting portion. The dislocation of the ribs from the depressed wall surfaces to an opening end side of the cover is prevented by the locking between the locking piece and the locking projection.
In the conventional connector that has been described above, when a load is exerted on the housing or the cover as a result of the effect of vibration exerted thereon from the outside, the locking between the locking piece and the locking projecting portion is released, whereby the ribs are displaced from the depressed wall surfaces, leading to a fear that the cover falls from the housing. In particular in the event that warpage is generated in the locking piece when the cover is molded, the locking piece is bended, whereby the locking with the locking projecting portion is released, and this causes the cover to fall from the housing easily.